Year 1 English: Section 1: simpler sounds
Part of the Year 1 English phonics check practice chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Section 1: simpler sounds
Section 1 of a practice set uses simpler sounds. Most words have one letter for each sound, like lamp. Two letters can make one sound at the end of a word: ck in sock. The double letters ff, ll, ss and zz also make one sound each, at the end of a word.
To read a word, sound it out. Say each sound, then push the sounds together.
| Section 1: simpler sounds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mug | 2 vop | 3 hen | 4 jid |
| 5 sock | 6 wum | 7 lamp | 8 fep |
| 9 bed | 10 zib | 11 grip | 12 slup |
| 13 tack | 14 quop | 15 pot | 16 frem |
| 17 yam | 18 nup | 19 rug | 20 vull |
Key ideas
- One letter makes one sound in most words, as in lamp.
- ck is two letters that make one sound, at the end, as in sock.
- ff, ll, ss and zz each make one sound at the end of a word.
- Sound out each sound, then push the sounds together.
Key words. A sound box holds one sound. A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
Method. Say the word slowly. Put the letters for each sound in one box.
- Say the word slowly, one sound at a time. Say each sound on its own, like a robot.l - a - m - p
- Put the letters for each sound in a box. Each letter makes its own sound, so each letter has its own box.l | a | m | p
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.4 sounds
- Write the answer. l, a, m, p
Check. Push the boxes together again: l + a + m + p makes lamp. ✓
Watch out. Each letter in this word has its own box.
Key words. A sound box holds one sound. A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
Method. Say the word slowly. Put the letters for each sound in one box.
- Say the word slowly, one sound at a time. Say each sound on its own, like a robot.s - o - ck
- Put the letters for each sound in a box. Two or three letters that make one sound share one box: ck.s | o | ck
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.3 sounds
- Write the answer. s, o, ck
Check. Push the boxes together again: s + o + ck makes sock. ✓
Watch out. Keep the letters of ck together in one box. Do not split them into separate letters.
Key words. Blend means to push the sounds together to read a word.
Method. Say each sound, then push the sounds together to read the word.
- Say the first sound. Use the letters for that sound together.s
- Say the sounds in order. Keep going until you reach the last sound.s - l - u - p
- Push the sounds together and read the word. Read them quickly, as one word.slup
- Write the answer. slup
Check. Split the word back into sounds: s, l, u, p. ✓ This is a made-up word, so there is no meaning to think about. Read the sounds.
Watch out. Say each letter as its own sound.
Watch out
Watch out: ck is one sound in sock, so sock has three sounds, not four. Keep c and k together.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Put a finger under each sound box as your child says the sounds, then push them together. Ask: “Which two letters make one sound at the end?”
Exercise 12C Simpler sounds: read and split
Key words. A sound box holds one sound. A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
Method. Say the word slowly. Put the letters for each sound in one box.
- Say the word slowly, one sound at a time. Say each sound on its own, like a robot.m - u - g
- Put the letters for each sound in a box. Each letter makes its own sound, so each letter has its own box.m | u | g
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.3 sounds
- Write the answer. m, u, g
Check. Push the boxes together again: m + u + g makes mug. ✓
Watch out. Each letter in this word has its own box.
Key words. A sound box holds one sound. A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
Method. Say the word slowly. Put the letters for each sound in one box.
- Say the word slowly, one sound at a time. Say each sound on its own, like a robot.b - e - d
- Put the letters for each sound in a box. Each letter makes its own sound, so each letter has its own box.b | e | d
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.3 sounds
- Write the answer. b, e, d
Check. Push the boxes together again: b + e + d makes bed. ✓
Watch out. Each letter in this word has its own box.
Key words. A sound box holds one sound. A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
Method. Say the word slowly. Put the letters for each sound in one box.
- Say the word slowly, one sound at a time. Say each sound on its own, like a robot.t - a - ck
- Put the letters for each sound in a box. Two or three letters that make one sound share one box: ck.t | a | ck
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.3 sounds
- Write the answer. t, a, ck
Check. Push the boxes together again: t + a + ck makes tack. ✓
Watch out. Keep the letters of ck together in one box. Do not split them into separate letters.
Key words. Blend means to push the sounds together to read a word.
Method. Say each sound, then push the sounds together to read the word.
- Say the first sound. Use the letters for that sound together.j
- Say the sounds in order. Keep going until you reach the last sound.j - i - d
- Push the sounds together and read the word. Read them quickly, as one word.jid
- Write the answer. jid
Check. Split the word back into sounds: j, i, d. ✓ This is a made-up word, so there is no meaning to think about. Read the sounds.
Watch out. Say each letter as its own sound.
Key words. A sound box holds one sound. A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
Method. Say the word slowly. Put the letters for each sound in one box.
- Say the word slowly, one sound at a time. Say each sound on its own, like a robot.v - o - p
- Put the letters for each sound in a box. Each letter makes its own sound, so each letter has its own box.v | o | p
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.3 sounds
- Write the answer. v, o, p
Check. Push the boxes together again: v + o + p makes vop. ✓
Watch out. Each letter in this word has its own box.
Key words. A sound box holds one sound. A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
Method. Say the word slowly. Put the letters for each sound in one box.
- Say the word slowly, one sound at a time. Say each sound on its own, like a robot.z - i - b
- Put the letters for each sound in a box. Each letter makes its own sound, so each letter has its own box.z | i | b
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.3 sounds
- Write the answer. z, i, b
Check. Push the boxes together again: z + i + b makes zib. ✓
Watch out. Each letter in this word has its own box.
Key words. A sound box holds one sound. A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
Method. Say the word slowly. Put the letters for each sound in one box.
- Say the word slowly, one sound at a time. Say each sound on its own, like a robot.w - u - m
- Put the letters for each sound in a box. Each letter makes its own sound, so each letter has its own box.w | u | m
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.3 sounds
- Write the answer. w, u, m
Check. Push the boxes together again: w + u + m makes wum. ✓
Watch out. Each letter in this word has its own box.
Method. Find the two letters at the end of sock.
- Say sock in sound boxes. The last box has two letters.s | o | ck
- Find the last box. ck is one box, so it makes one sound.ck
- Write the answer. ck
Check. Read the boxes: s | o | ck. ✓
Watch out. Write both letters, c and k, together.
Method. Count the sound boxes in grip.
- Split grip into sound boxes. Each letter makes its own sound here.g | r | i | p
- Count the boxes. Each box is one sound.4 boxes
- Write the answer. 4 sounds
Check. Push the boxes together: g - r - i - p makes grip. ✓
Watch out. Four letters here make four sounds.
Method. Look for the word that ends with ck.
- Look at the end of pot. pot ends with t.pot: t
- Look at the end of tack. tack ends with ck.tack: ck
- Look at the end of hen. hen ends with n.hen: n
- Write the answer. tack
Check. Only tack ends with ck. ✓
Watch out. Look at the last two letters of each word.
Method. Count the sounds in each word.
- Count the sounds in mug. mug has m, u and g.mug: 3 sounds
- Count the sounds in lamp. lamp has l, a, m and p.lamp: 4 sounds
- Count the sounds in bed. bed has b, e and d.bed: 3 sounds
- Write the answer. lamp
Check. Only lamp has four sounds. ✓
Watch out. Count the sounds, not the letters.
Method. Count the sounds in tack, one at a time.
- Look at the word tack. The letters ck make one sound together.t - a - ck
- Count the sounds. Three sounds, because ck is one box.3 sounds
- Check the answer. Mia said three sounds, with t - a - k. She counted k and c separately.No. Tack has three sounds: t, a, ck.
Check. Push the sounds together: t - a - ck makes tack. ✓
Watch out. ck is one sound. Do not count the c and the k separately.
Method. Choose a word that ends with ck and a word that ends with the sound made by ck.
- Pick a real word with ck at the end. Choose a word you know.sock
- Make a made-up word with ck at the end. Use a short vowel and ck, like a real word, but with no meaning.vock
- Check the rules. Both words end with ck after a short vowel. Only sock has a meaning.sock (real), vock (alien)
Check. Read both words: sock and vock. Only sock has a meaning. ✓
Watch out. An alien word follows the rules, but it has no meaning.